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Eritrea is one of the newest and most promising nations in Africa. Eritrea recently fought and won one of the longest wars in the world. Following thirty years of bitter armed struggle, Eritrea gained total national independence and became self-governing in 1991 in a stunning defeat of the occupying Ethiopian forces which also helped liberate Ethiopia from the Soviet-backed Ethiopian Regime, Mengistu's Derg, the last in a series of forceful hindrances (10-years of British occupation, coerced federation with Ethiopia, and the subsequent 30-years of forceful annexation by Ethiopia) to its legitimate quest for de-colonization.
Like all African countries as we know them today, Eritrea was established definitively as a separate Nation State as a result of Colonialism: End of Feudalism and ethnic territorialization, and the emergence of Nation States and National identity. There existed no Nation States or countries in Africa prior to the advent of Colonialism (The Scramble for Africa).
Eritrea was first established in1890 as a Nation State by Italian Colonialism together with its sister Italian colonies of Somalia and Libya. At the end of Italian colonialism in 1941 and at the time when the fate of former Italian colonies was decided, Somalia and Libya were granted national independence while the question of the Italian colony Eritrea remained unresolved because of the geo-political and strategic significance of Eritrea to the global strategy of The Arabian Peninsula, where 2/3 of world oil reserves lied. Hence, Eritrea was denied national independence; instead Eritrea was transferred by the colonial powers to British Administration for the period 1941 - 1951.
At the end of British Administration, in light of the strategic significance, and against the expressed will and wishes of the people of Eritrea, the UN decided in 1952 to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia for a period of 10 years under the trust-ship of the Ethiopian Emperor, at the end of which the people of Eritrea would be given a chance to decide over their political fate via a referendum. However, during the federation with Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie's government systematically violated the rights granted by the UN. The oppression culminated and in 1962, with the silent consent of the UN and USA, and again against the expressed will of the people of Eritrea, Ethiopia unilaterally dissolved the "Federation", forcefully annexed Eritrea and declared it as its 14th province, similar to the way Iraq attempted to annex Kuwait and declare it to its province in 1991.
In 1961, one year prior to the annexation, an armed struggle for independence began. Faced with the deaf ears of the international community, the USA and the UN, Eritrea was left with the only option of waging a 30-year war for national independence and self-government, which was effectively attained in 1991. Soon after, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) liberated Asmara and established the Provisional Government of Eritrea (PGE). In an internationally observed referendum in April 1993, 99.8 per cent of the Eritreans voted for independence, which was officially declared on 24 May 1993. The referendum of 1993 was nothing but a pro forma and a sheer diplomatic courtesy to bring "formal" closure to the UN resolution that forcefully federated Eritrea with Ethiopia.
Like all African countries as we know them today, Eritrea was established definitively as a separate Nation State as a result of Colonialism: End of Feudalism and ethnic territorialization, and the emergence of Nation States and National identity. There existed no Nation States or countries in Africa prior to the advent of Colonialism (The Scramble for Africa).
Eritrea was first established in1890 as a Nation State by Italian Colonialism together with its sister Italian colonies of Somalia and Libya. At the end of Italian colonialism in 1941 and at the time when the fate of former Italian colonies was decided, Somalia and Libya were granted national independence while the question of the Italian colony Eritrea remained unresolved because of the geo-political and strategic significance of Eritrea to the global strategy of The Arabian Peninsula, where 2/3 of world oil reserves lied. Hence, Eritrea was denied national independence; instead Eritrea was transferred by the colonial powers to British Administration for the period 1941 - 1951.
At the end of British Administration, in light of the strategic significance, and against the expressed will and wishes of the people of Eritrea, the UN decided in 1952 to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia for a period of 10 years under the trust-ship of the Ethiopian Emperor, at the end of which the people of Eritrea would be given a chance to decide over their political fate via a referendum. However, during the federation with Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie's government systematically violated the rights granted by the UN. The oppression culminated and in 1962, with the silent consent of the UN and USA, and again against the expressed will of the people of Eritrea, Ethiopia unilaterally dissolved the "Federation", forcefully annexed Eritrea and declared it as its 14th province, similar to the way Iraq attempted to annex Kuwait and declare it to its province in 1991.
In 1961, one year prior to the annexation, an armed struggle for independence began. Faced with the deaf ears of the international community, the USA and the UN, Eritrea was left with the only option of waging a 30-year war for national independence and self-government, which was effectively attained in 1991. Soon after, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) liberated Asmara and established the Provisional Government of Eritrea (PGE). In an internationally observed referendum in April 1993, 99.8 per cent of the Eritreans voted for independence, which was officially declared on 24 May 1993. The referendum of 1993 was nothing but a pro forma and a sheer diplomatic courtesy to bring "formal" closure to the UN resolution that forcefully federated Eritrea with Ethiopia.
